Yellow SEAC @ Barons - sold £6,600!
Discussion
From the Barons website;
" Please Note: This TVR is accompanied by a letter from the TVR factory, which states that the car IS a 420 and NOT a 350. It would seem that an error was made at the time of manufacture, which resulted in the car receiving a 350 chassis number. "
How does that square with the post on here today from Barons that says the factory has no records for it ?
This is how;
From the same website
" Note: This description is provided by the vendor and unless otherwise stated is 'Not Verified' by Barons or any person employed by Barons. Prospective purchasers are advised to satisfy themselves as to the accuracy of any statements made, whether they be statements of fact or opinion. "
So I think we can safely assume that not only is it not a SEAC but that Barons, on balance, knew ought reasonably to have known that fact before they advertised / sold it.
My legal brain is a bit rusty, but if that isn't exactly illegal, it sure as hell isn't what a reputable firm should be doing.
Andy 400se
" Please Note: This TVR is accompanied by a letter from the TVR factory, which states that the car IS a 420 and NOT a 350. It would seem that an error was made at the time of manufacture, which resulted in the car receiving a 350 chassis number. "
How does that square with the post on here today from Barons that says the factory has no records for it ?
This is how;
From the same website
" Note: This description is provided by the vendor and unless otherwise stated is 'Not Verified' by Barons or any person employed by Barons. Prospective purchasers are advised to satisfy themselves as to the accuracy of any statements made, whether they be statements of fact or opinion. "
So I think we can safely assume that not only is it not a SEAC but that Barons, on balance, knew ought reasonably to have known that fact before they advertised / sold it.
My legal brain is a bit rusty, but if that isn't exactly illegal, it sure as hell isn't what a reputable firm should be doing.
Andy 400se
Andy, Your right and your suggestion is what the Baron's chap was suggesting - i.e. if your not happy don't bid, the buyer obviously was and did.
Seamus & I contacted Barons and I sent a photo of a real SEAC, maybe this is why some questions where asked by Barons but if the letter from the factory gives the car some pedigree then who are we who didn't attend the auction to argue.
What would be good would be if Baron's can tip the wink to the new owner about this forum so he/she can join in.
If it's a genuine NCK 4.2 then it will make a loverly noise.
GB
Seamus & I contacted Barons and I sent a photo of a real SEAC, maybe this is why some questions where asked by Barons but if the letter from the factory gives the car some pedigree then who are we who didn't attend the auction to argue.
What would be good would be if Baron's can tip the wink to the new owner about this forum so he/she can join in.
If it's a genuine NCK 4.2 then it will make a loverly noise.
GB
The advertising was at best misleading for a specialist auction house. The chances of that car leaving the factory as anything other than a standard 350i are very slim. The other differences include engine, wheels, tyres, brakes... What would be interesting is to know what has happened to the car in the last 15 years or so. The engine could be 4.2, 5.2, with supercharger, nitrous, who knows although the visible lack of different wheels to a 350i tends to suggest not. Fortunately those indicators have a very good chance of being caught.
Gentlemen -
I am the new owner of the 'mystery' yellow TVR 420 SEAC. The registration number is D659 YLP. Prior to being painted yellow in August this year the car was black, and it is believed it was metallic black when sold new.
I raised questions about the identity of the car at the time of purchase. I have since found out quite a lot about the car, and am awaiting further information from a previous owner.
I note your comments and concerns, and have been most interested in what some of you have had to say. However, at this stage I am unable to say very much for reasons of possible legal action or criminal prosecution.
If there are any past owners on this site I would be most grateful if you would contact me, as I would any others who can furnish me with any information.
Many thanks.
firefox
I am the new owner of the 'mystery' yellow TVR 420 SEAC. The registration number is D659 YLP. Prior to being painted yellow in August this year the car was black, and it is believed it was metallic black when sold new.
I raised questions about the identity of the car at the time of purchase. I have since found out quite a lot about the car, and am awaiting further information from a previous owner.
I note your comments and concerns, and have been most interested in what some of you have had to say. However, at this stage I am unable to say very much for reasons of possible legal action or criminal prosecution.
If there are any past owners on this site I would be most grateful if you would contact me, as I would any others who can furnish me with any information.
Many thanks.
firefox
The auctioneer should give an accurate description of the items in the auction. It is not normally possible to exclude liability for misdescriptions. If a buyer finds that the item bought was misdescribed then the item can (if the buyer acts quickly enough) be rejected and the purchase price refunded.
Enough said
Enough said
Hi Firefox,
Welcome aboard.
Just to confirm although you may have already found this out: when I spoke with the factory they advised the records for the "GB" chassis are now kept offsite and were at the time therefore unable to confirm/deny information - this would suggest that the documentation is still available (they were reluctant to delve further as I have no direct involvement with the car).
As per Daves' suggestion, the easiest way to prove what the car is: as the current keeper you can get information about any earlier keepers on previous V5s which you can then also tell if any colour/registration number changes have been made and of course what the car was initially registered as - use it myself everytime I buy a car:
Vehicle Record Enquiries,
Vehicle Customer Services,
DVLA,
Swansea
SA99 1AJ
Quote the registration number of the vehicle and give the reasons for your request. A fee of £5 is payable to DVLA.
Best of luck and of course hope this all works out ok - in the meantime enjoy the car for what it is - a stunning 4.2 rocket with a truly fantastic soundtrack
Welcome aboard.
Just to confirm although you may have already found this out: when I spoke with the factory they advised the records for the "GB" chassis are now kept offsite and were at the time therefore unable to confirm/deny information - this would suggest that the documentation is still available (they were reluctant to delve further as I have no direct involvement with the car).
As per Daves' suggestion, the easiest way to prove what the car is: as the current keeper you can get information about any earlier keepers on previous V5s which you can then also tell if any colour/registration number changes have been made and of course what the car was initially registered as - use it myself everytime I buy a car:
Vehicle Record Enquiries,
Vehicle Customer Services,
DVLA,
Swansea
SA99 1AJ
Quote the registration number of the vehicle and give the reasons for your request. A fee of £5 is payable to DVLA.
Best of luck and of course hope this all works out ok - in the meantime enjoy the car for what it is - a stunning 4.2 rocket with a truly fantastic soundtrack
thegamekeeper said:
Although Barons have only just become a member of Pistonheads they obviously knew of its existence before auctioning this car and were probably frequent visitors. How come everyone on here can tell the difference when they cant, a simple search would have told them all they needed to know and they would still have credibility( and they guy who bought the "SEAC" would probably still have his money)
Looking at Firefox's profile I notice he has been a "silent" member of Pistonheads for 9 months.In much the same way that I feel Barons should not have described/sold the car as a SEAC perhaps you could argue that Firefox had enough time and information available to him before making his winning bid.
Does it really matter...? There is one main reason why I would buy a particular car, because I liked it.
TVR are known for producing "tweeked" cars - what about the red 309se prototype..?
Leave the guy to enjoy his car - after all when all is said and done...its a TVR and whats better than that...?
Claire
TVR are known for producing "tweeked" cars - what about the red 309se prototype..?
Leave the guy to enjoy his car - after all when all is said and done...its a TVR and whats better than that...?
Claire
Thank you for your remarks -
Yes - I have been a member of Pistonheads for some months, but, silly me - I was not aware of the discussion section. I just normally whiz quickly in and out of various sites like this.
However, I certainly am aware of what is accepted that an SEAC should look like and hence the raising of questions at the time of purchase. I believe I know what the car is but am waiting for further confirmation on a number of matters.
I am unable to say more at this moment for fear of jeopardising any possible legal action or criminal prosecution. Hopefully, in a few days time, I will be able to tell you all about it.
By the way, the car does in fact have a 350/390 style front bumper with the rubber strip between bumber and body - unlike the silly front end as in the photos. It has been completely stripped and rebuilt, repainted and retrimmed including carpets.
I haven't yet had the pedal to the plastic (floor) and driving it quickly on the lanes around here is difficult because the roads are so bumpy! We all know how TVRs skip about on bumpy bends!
Anyone want to buy a Ferrari 400i? Yes - I'll put an advert on the site later.
Many thanks for your suggestions.
firefox
Yes - I have been a member of Pistonheads for some months, but, silly me - I was not aware of the discussion section. I just normally whiz quickly in and out of various sites like this.
However, I certainly am aware of what is accepted that an SEAC should look like and hence the raising of questions at the time of purchase. I believe I know what the car is but am waiting for further confirmation on a number of matters.
I am unable to say more at this moment for fear of jeopardising any possible legal action or criminal prosecution. Hopefully, in a few days time, I will be able to tell you all about it.
By the way, the car does in fact have a 350/390 style front bumper with the rubber strip between bumber and body - unlike the silly front end as in the photos. It has been completely stripped and rebuilt, repainted and retrimmed including carpets.
I haven't yet had the pedal to the plastic (floor) and driving it quickly on the lanes around here is difficult because the roads are so bumpy! We all know how TVRs skip about on bumpy bends!
Anyone want to buy a Ferrari 400i? Yes - I'll put an advert on the site later.
Many thanks for your suggestions.
firefox
Welcome to the discussion forum. I hope that you manage to get your car sorted out on the legal side more quickly than most cases take. Will you be attending any TVR meetings? I am sure that many people are now in terested in the story of this car; since not all SEAC bodies are aramaic construction is it for legal reasons that you call it a 420 SEAC? Or has it had a massive accident and been rebuilt as a 350i? Roll on the day when you feel able to answer these questions.
firefox1712 said:Welcome!
I haven't yet had the pedal to the plastic (floor) and driving it quickly on the lanes around here is difficult because the roads are so bumpy! We all know how TVRs skip about on bumpy bends
You can't get much rougher roads than the ones around here - surely! Mine used to be terribly nervous and bottom out big-time; I wore a hole in a new exhaust in 600 miles! I've been messing around with ride height and damper rates and it's completely sorted now. Haven't grounded out for ages and have loads of cornering confidence. Ask the Tivs that were following me on the GotG Exmoor run earlier this year
Na...I meant this one:
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?f=12&h=&t=50569
"My" tvr is still at the factory hopefully still covered over after I removed a tree from the boot. Just need to save () enough to fix it. Hopefully its not beyond repair.
Claire
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?f=12&h=&t=50569
"My" tvr is still at the factory hopefully still covered over after I removed a tree from the boot. Just need to save (
) enough to fix it. Hopefully its not beyond repair. Claire
dmsims said:
Duncan
does yours have AVO's, if so what kind of settings did you use ?
TIA, David
Yup, AVOs.
To be honest I'm not sure how to classify the setup as I haven't enough experience. But I can tell you how I got there!
I wound up the corners until I got the gound clearance I wanted (this stiffens the suspension as a side effect), then I hardened up the AVOs until it stopped pogo-ing on bad roads/concrete motorways.
I suspect most Wedge owners would still call my setup 'soft'; but like I said I have little to compare against. I was rather chuffed when an M-series Beemer span off behind me at Castle Combe last weekend, so the setup can't be completely wrong
P.S. Before the rebuild the springs had gone soft and the shocks were shocking. Replacing these was a significant startpoint.
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